Making Men Rapists

by Wendy McElroyIt is called "affirmative consent." It is a new front in the growing regulatory oversight of the most intimate aspect of personal life: making love or having sex. If the White House Council on Women and Girls gets its way, then the doctrine of affirmative consent will regulate sex on a campus near you. It may already be happening.

Those are the people who figure if a girl says, "No!" she really means yes. That if she is in a drunken coma, she means yes. That if they gave her a dose of roofies, so she won't remember it later, it means yes. That if she invites them into her place, she means yes. That if she goes into the guy's place, it means yes. That if she does a hot dance in the bar, she means yes. That if she rides a bus she means yes. That if she's wearing a halter and hot pants, she means yes. That if she's alone, she means yes.

Basically that if she is a woman, she's a slut...and that means yes. Because women that don't say yes are prudes, teases, etc.

This site claims to uphold libertarian ideals: It is not "freedom" to have someone else decide for you how your body will be used. If she doesn't say, "Yes!" then you are in the wrong ... even if you get away with it.

That being the case, "affirmative consent" shouldn't be a problem with anyone here.

Yeah, f'ing libertarians just want to rape everyone! Oh, and those opposed to the patriot act are unpatriotic! Against the NSA spying? Then you're pro-terrorist! Against government run schools? Then you're against education! Wow, politics sure is simple!

You have a point: I was a bit too non-specific. *Some men* will use a variety of excuses to rape women. But I would expect libertarians to be of a mindset that they would not rape women; because they respect individual rights.

Which I would expect to include the right of a woman to control how her body is used.

So the question I was trying to raise: Why is this article in this site? Since I wouldn't expect "affirmative consent" to offend a proper libertarian, it seems out of place.

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which in some cases has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available for the purposes of news reporting, education, research, comment, and criticism, which constitutes a 'fair use' of such copyrighted material in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. It is our policy to respond to notices of alleged infringement that comply with the DMCA and other applicable intellectual property laws. It is our policy to remove material from public view that we believe in good faith to be copyrighted material that has been illegally copied and distributed by any of our members or users.